Home is Where the Heart Is
by BananaLollypop
Summary: In which Éponine is ill and the word 'relaxing' is apparently not recognised. Part 23 in my 'What if... Enjolnine' series. R&R if you want to make a Barricade Girl very happy!


**AN: **Gahh. I'm a week late! Sorrryyyy! I've got mocks next week (joy -.-) So updates will be slower. Apologies, mes amis!

I also apologise for the massive jump near the end of this chapter; I'd have gone on forever if I'd included it, so I'm saving it for the extended edition!

Prompt: What if Enjolras and Éponine really don't know the meaning of the word 'holiday'? Enjoy!

* * *

Éponine raised her eyebrows amusedly as Enjolras hobbled into the room. "How was horse riding?" she questioned, trying to disguise her need to laugh hysterically.

"I don't want to talk about it," he grumbled into his pillow as he collapsed onto the bed next to her, lying on his stomach with his head buried in the pillow.

"Oh, please tell me!" she begged, "I need _something_ to laugh about!"

He sighed, "The horse bolted and I twisted my ankle when I tried to get off."

Éponine looked shocked for a moment, and then a huge grin split across her face, "You fell off?!"

"No!" Enjolras protested, "I just... dismounted wrong."

"It _sounds_ like you fell off," Éponine told him, chuckling quietly, "Why didn't you just take control of the horse like a normal person?!"

"Oh! It never occurred to me to do that! Thanks for that amazing revelation, 'Ponine!" he said sarcastically, sitting up and leaning against the wall behind him, "I _tried_ to take control of it, but it got spooked by something, so it didn't do much good..."

"I thought you bourgeois types were supposed to be experts at handling horses," Éponine said, smirking, "Marius always used to complain about being forced to learn how to ride."

"I used to have lessons," Enjolras told her, "But I hate horses. So I turned around to my parents when I was ten and refused to go anymore. My mother was furious."

"Did they force you to go?" Éponine asked; she couldn't believe that Enjolras' parents would really just let a ten-year-old Enjolras refuse to do something.

"Oh, they tried," Enjolras grinned, "I just snuck off and hid in the stables reading a book until they came to pick me up again. When they found out, they said that they weren't wasting money on something I blatantly wasn't going to do, so I didn't have to go anymore."

Éponine laughed, "Enjolras DuFay, taking charge of people bigger than him for over ten years!" she said jokily. He rolled his eyes.

"How are you feeling?" he asked.

"A bit better," she said, shrugging, "I told you; it's just the flu. I'm not going to die."

"Hmm," he raised his eyebrows, "We'll see. Your fever still hasn't broken," he said, placing a hand on her forehead. It was Éponine's turn to roll her eyes.

"I'm fine, Apollo," she insisted, "But I am _insanely_ bored and I'm missing my twins."

"So you keep saying," he said, shuffling closer to her on the bed so that she could lean her head on his shoulder, "Did you finish your book?"

"Yes," Éponine smiled, "Rubbish ending."

They descended into silence for a minute, before Enjolras approached a subject that could be potentially touchy, "Do you want to talk about your dream from last night?" Éponine sighed.

"It was nothing," she said, "Really. Just a nightmare."

"So is that a no?" he asked, smiling slightly. She shrugged.

"It was just about my father and his gang," she said quietly, "Nothing unusual. It was just... unexpected. And more than a little bit frightening."

"You know that if he comes anywhere near you without the best of intentions then he's going to get some kind of weapon threatening his personal area, don't you?" Enjolras asked. Éponine chuckled.

"I'd expect nothing less," she told him, "But it wasn't me who was being targeted in my dream. I know _I'm_ safe..." Enjolras finally clicked; there really was only one thing that would scare Éponine to the extent she had been the night before.

"The twins were in danger, weren't they?" Enjolras asked her. Éponine sighed again.

"He took them away," she started, "Took them, right in front of me, and sold them on to members of the gang. What they did... it was horrific, Enjolras."

"The twins are safe," Enjolras promised her, wrapping his arms around her and kissing the top of her head, "My parents would die before they let anyone touch them, not to mention the fact that they'll be having the Amis wandering in and out of their house every day to see the twins. Your father wouldn't dare go near them."

"But it was my fault," Éponine said, tears in her eyes, "I just let him take them away from me. How could I do that?!"

"You didn't do it," he said firmly, "It was a dream, Éponine, nothing more. I'd never let anyone hurt the twins, or you. Not ever."

"I know," she wiped away a tear that was rolling down her cheek, "I know it was a dream. I'm being silly."

"You're being a mother," Enjolras told her, smiling slightly, "Which is how I know that you'd never let your father get close enough to even see the twins, let alone take them away from you."

Éponine sniffled, "You're too nice to me," she said, "I used to hate you, you know."

"Oh, well, thanks very much!" Enjolras said, chuckling.

"I don't anymore, obviously," Éponine said, "But you were always so cocky, so loud, when you were talking about the revolution and you never seemed to take a break. I thought you were a bit... annoying, really."

"You're really not helping your case..." Enjolras said.

"Do you want to know a secret?" Éponine said, ignoring her fiancé's comment.

"Go on, then," he said, sighing, "I guess I'll have to deal with my wounded ego for a while longer..."

"You're hilarious," Éponine said dryly, "When I was in the Musain one night, before the barricades, you were up in front of everyone, preaching your ideas, handing out orders, being your usual cocky self. I was sat with Grantaire, and I told him how much you annoyed me-"

"Again with the annoying?" Enjolras interrupted smirking.

"_Annoyed_," she corrected, "Past tense. I told him how much you annoyed me and he said 'you're going to marry him if we make it through this blasted revolution'."

"He said _what_?!" Enjolras spluttered. Éponine smiled.

"That shut you up, didn't it?!" she said smugly.

"He... sorry, he said _what_?!" Enjolras was shocked; Grantaire was a lot of things (a cynic, a drunk and a pain in the backside to name but a few) but he certainly wasn't psychic.

"I know," Éponine said, shrugging, "I didn't believe it either. In fact, I believe my exact words were 'you must be more drunk than usual if you think that'. I'm just glad I didn't bet anything on it... If I _had _bet anything, then I wouldn't be where I am right now, with my perfect fiancé who I would like to thank very much for my lunch and my book."

"You are so welcome," Enjolras smiled, "The sooner your fever goes down the better; I don't think I could survive spending the rest of the holiday with just Marius..."

"I should probably go and apologise to Cosette for making her ill..." Éponine said, remembering what Enjolras wrote in his note.

"Or... we could stay in bed, ask one the maids to bring us our supper up here so that we don't have to face Marius and we can have some alone time..." Enjolras kissed a ticklish spot on Éponine's neck and she giggled, pushing him away.

"In case you'd forgotten, monsieur, I am sick," she said, "Unless this alone time involves anything other than you reading and singing to me as I drift in and out of consciousness as and when I please..." she smirked at the look of pretend-shock on his face.

"Why, Éponine," he said, "I wouldn't even think to suggest that our alone time would consist of anything else." Éponine raised her eyes brows but smiled, kissing him lightly.

"Then I would very much like for us to spend some alone time together, monsieur."

Enjolras left Éponine to look through the vast range of books they had brought with them (because, really, between the two of them, they were bound to get through at least ten books in the time they spent in Marius and Cosette's company). He went downstairs, asking the first maid he came to if she could arrange for their dinner to be brought up to them (he could just imagine Marius' face when he turned up for supper alone. Marius would, after all, find it far too inappropriate to eat in the bedroom to accompany his sick wife). For once, Enjolras was glad that he hadn't bound himself by the strict bourgeoisie concepts that Marius and Cosette seemed to live by.

He climbed the stairs two at a time, walking down a short corridor to reach his and Éponine's room. The door was slightly ajar, just how he'd left it, and he could hear Éponine humming to herself from inside. He stood there for a moment as the humming changed to a quiet singing, appreciating the sound of Éponine's voice, before pushing the door open.

"You should sing more often," he commenting, smirking as Éponine practically jumped out of her skin.

"Apollo," she snapped shakily, "That scared the life out of me!" she was now back in bed, a pile of books sitting on the bedside table next to her, and another book open on her lap, where she had obviously been flicking through the pages as she sang.

"My apologies, Athena," he said, climbing onto the bed next to her, "You have a beautiful voice."

Éponine blushed, "So do you," she told him, "Now, read to me, pretty please." She pushed the book towards him, taking a hold of his jacket and tugging on the sleeve, prompting him to move closer. He wrapped his arm around her and she curled herself (and the blankets on the bed) into his embrace.

This was how a maid found them just under an hour later. She smiled awkwardly as she came in after hesitantly knocking on the door. Enjolras and Éponine both smiled at her.

"Merci, madam," Enjolras said as she placed their dinner on the desk. She nodded in acknowledgment of his thanks, before leaving the room.

"I could get used to this," Éponine said quietly, "Being waited on hand and foot..."

"I shall have to start calling you Cosette," Enjolras muttered. Éponine hit him playfully.

"Cosette isn't that bad!" Éponine protested, "She has a mind of her own you know. And she is definitely capable of being her own person."

"Of course," Enjolras said quietly, the tone of his voice stating that he didn't quite believe his fiancée.

"Stop being mean," Éponine reprimanded, climbing out of bed to get herself some food, "She is my best friend. I _know_ her, Enjolras. She is a lot cleverer and a lot more thoughtful than she may seem at first. Unlike some of our friends, she actually engages her brain before she opens her mouth to speak."

Enjolras smiled, "You look ever so pretty when you're annoyed." He said.

"Don't change the subject!" Éponine said, "You and Cosette need to spend more time together, I think. Once you've gotten to know her _properly_ you may be a bit nicer about her."

"You are definitely still sick," he noted, "You've protested twice against me on one subject. You'd normally give up after the first try."

"I don't 'give up'," Éponine said frowning, "I 'give in'. There's a difference."

"Are you sure?" Enjolras asked amusedly.

"Yes," she said, climbing back on the bed next to him with two plates of food, giving one to Enjolras and keeping the other for herself, "There is, after all, no point in wasting my time arguing a pointless topic with a man who refuses to listen to reason."

"Oh, so _you're _the voice of reason?" he said chuckling, "Forgive me if I don't believe you straight away. You _did_, after all, have a thing for Marius..." Éponine scowled, nibbling at a piece of chicken.

"I'll accept your logic," she said after a moment, "But I still don't entirely agree with you."

"I can deal with that," Enjolras agreed.

They ate their dinner, quietly conversing about anything and everything.

"I can't wait to go home," Éponine said, "I mean, I love being away and everything, and I know we needed a break but..."

"You miss the twins," Enjolras smiled, "So you keep saying."

"Well, don't you?" Éponine demanded, "It just feels... wrong. That our children are staying with someone else because we couldn't manage it ourselves."

"I know," Enjolras sighed, "I feel the same. But we _did_ need a break, Athena. We never got any work done, we were walking around half asleep..." he shrugged, "Sometimes you just need to get away."

"I suppose... we're not _totally_ abandoning them, are we?" Éponine asked, "We are seeing them after all."

"We're not abandoning them," Enjolras said, taking her hand in his, "But yes, we are seeing them. Though if we miss their first words, or their first steps, then I shall be irrevocably annoyed..."

"As will I," Éponine murmured, "And if Courf and Gavroche have been trying to get them to say anything other than 'Mama' or 'Papa', then so help me, I will kick their backsides..."

Enjolras and Éponine managed to eat all of the food brought up to them between them, with Éponineeating her fair share as opposed to Enjolras eating most of it, and the revolutionary leader was happy that his fiancée finally seemed to be feeling better.

* * *

The next morning threw that idea out of the window. Éponine refused to get out of bed, and her fever still hadn't broken. Enjolras was getting increasingly worried; yes, Éponine had had fevers before. But they had never stayed for longer than two days. They were now on day three, and Éponine was grumpy as ever.

"Just leave me alone," she grumbled, laying her head under the pillow to try and drain out Enjolras' babbling about how she had never been ill for longer than two days, "I'm tired and I have a headache and I just want to sleep."

"I'm being insensitive aren't I?" he asked frowning as he sat on the edge of the bed next to her, running his fingers through what hair was visible from under the pillow.

"Maybe a little overbearing," Éponine mumbled into the mattress, "But not insensitive."

"Well, that's something I suppose," Enjolras sighed, "I'm going to go and see Marius, ask about Cosette. Remember your promise."

"What promise?" Éponine questioned, lifting her head, causing the pillow to topple to the side.

"Well, that's reassuring..." Enjolras muttered, "The one where you promise not to die." He clarified, kissing her forehead as a goodbye.

"I promised, didn't I?" Éponine said, "And I don't break promises." Enjolras smiled, before leaving the room, shutting the door softly behind him.

When he reached the dining room, Marius looked up from the letter he was reading, a look of annoyance on his face.

"Thank you very much for leaving me to eat dinner alone last night," he said.

"You are so welcome," Enjolras smirked, "I didn't want to leave Éponine alone. She was feeling a bit better, and we wanted to make the most of it."

"Then where is she?" Marius questioned, noticing his friend's absence for the first time.

"I said she _was_ feeling better," Enjolras said, frowning, "Whatever illness she's managed to pick up has managed to come back with a vengeance overnight. How's Cosette, by the way?"

"Ridiculously high fever, refuses to get out of bed, won't eat anything..." Marius sighed worriedly.

"You could just as well be describing 'Ponine," Enjolras told him, smiling slightly. Marius copied his friend's expression before becoming serious again.

"Why is it that both of them had to become ill when it's a three hours ride to find the nearest doctor?" Marius said exasperatedly.

"Yes, it's ever so inconvenient, isn't it?" Enjolras said sarcastically, rolling his eyes, "It's not like they can help it, Marius. Besides, Joly will be here in a few hours. I'm sure he'll manage to work out what's wrong with them."

"I sincerely hope so," Marius said, "I think it's a thing that all women are grumpy when they're ill. Cosette threw a pillow at me this morning." Enjolras snorted.

"That's nothing," he said, "Éponine threw her fist at me the night before last. You wait until Cosette has a fever-induced nightmare; _then_ you can come and moan to me about things being thrown at you."

* * *

Courfeyrac, Joly and Gavroche arrived with the twins at one o'clock, all three of them looking dishevelled and just a little bit exhausted, Courf carrying a screaming Evette in his arms and Joly holding a marginally quieter Elyse.

Enjolras met them at the door, and he didn't even get the chance to hold his arms arm before Evette was being forced on him.

"Four hours... two babies... carriage... never again..." Courf muttered, pushing past Enjolras into the house. Gavroche followed him, for once actually quiet. Joly grinned.

"They're a little bit tired," he explained as Enjolras led the way into the house, smiling happily at the baby in his arms who had fallen silent the second she had been passed to her father, "Where's Éponine?"

"Ill," Enjolras said, his face falling slightly, "Fever, headache, grumpiness, she had a cough yesterday..."

"Great timing!" Joly muttered sarcastically, "Do you want me to..."

"Please," Enjolras butted in before Joly could finish his sentence, shifting Evette in his arms so that he could carry her in one arm and Elyse in the other. Joly smiled, nodding, "It's up the stairs, to the right and it's the only door down that corridor."

As Joly went off to find Éponine, Enjolras followed the way Courf had gone, finding him and Gavroche in the living room with Marius, who stood up and took Evette from Enjolras when he reached the sofa he was sitting on. Enjolras sat in the available armchair, happy to spend some time with his daughter again.

"Look at his face," Courfeyrac said, not quiet enough for him to be even trying to keep what he was saying a secret, "It's like she's just been born all over again."

"How would you know?" Enjolras asked defensively, "You weren't there!"

"My point is that you've only been gone three days!" Courf exclaimed, "What are you going to be like when they start school? Or go to university?!"

"I'd rather not think about it," Enjolras muttered, "Not yet anyway."

"Éponine still in bed?" Marius asked. Enjolras nodded, not saying a word as he gazed joyfully at the child in his arms; he hadn't realised just how much he had missed the twins until he felt the familiar feeling of happiness when one of them was in his arms.

"Bed?!" Gavroche made a face, "She's a bit lazy, isn't she?"

"She's sick, Gavroche," Enjolras told him, smirking slightly at his assumption, "She refused to get up. Joly's currently making sure that she hasn't caught the plague or whatever bizarre conditions that are probably running through his head right now."

"You know, one day he's going to get a serious diagnosis spot on, and none of us are going to believe him," Courfeyrac chuckled. Enjolras snorted amusedly, whilst Marius laughed quietly.

"That'll be an interesting day, that's for sure." Marius agreed.

"I don't suppose you happened to bring the twins' crib, did you?" Enjolras asked, a thought striking him.

Courf's eyes narrowed, "Why?" he asked suspiciously.

Enjolras noted the look on his friend's face and sighed, "You know why," he stated, "And I don't care what you say, I know you've got it and I know the same thought occurred to you. She'll murder us if you haven't brought it."

"Well," Courfeyrac shrugged, "The thought may have occurred to Combeferre..." Enjolras smirked.

"I'm glad at least one of the Amis has some common sense."

"I'm not saying it's a good idea!" Courfeyrac protested, "And Combeferre was completely against it. But we know Éponine, so... it's in the carriage."

Marius and Gavroche both looked utterly lost, looking between Enjolras and Courfeyrac as if expecting to find an answer from their facial expressions.

"Care to explain?" Marius questioned. Enjolras smirked, taking Elyse from Marius' arms as he went to walk upstairs to take the twins to Éponine.

"The twins are staying for the remainder of the holiday."

* * *

Joly had found Éponine easy enough, but actually finding out what was wrong with her was a totally different matter. Éponine was certainly doing her best to be a difficult patient.

"I just want to go back to sleep, Joly!" she groaned, pulling the bedcovers up over her head.

"And what if you've got pneumonia?" Joly question exasperatedly, "Or you've got the plague?!"

"I haven't got the plague!" Éponine said angrily, "Now go away!"

"Not until I'm convinced that you're not dying." Joly said stubbornly, Éponine sat up, the covers falling away from her as she did so.

"You... are mean." She grumbled. Joly grinned.

"I try my best."

By the time Enjolras reached the bedroom five minutes later, Joly was convinced that Éponine was not, in fact, dying.

"Just the flu," Joly said smiling as Enjolras poked his head around the door, "Bad flu, admittedly, but you're not dying. Your fever isn't dangerously high... not yet anyway. Just keep an eye on it and get some rest." Éponine barely stopped herself from reminding him of the fact that she had been trying to do just that when he burst in and interrupted her.

"So she's not going to infect us all and cause an epidemic then?" Enjolras questioned jokily. Joly shook his head wearily, turning to frown at Éponine.

"What have you done to him?" he asked, the seriousness in his voice almost convincing, "He never used to make joke like that. He never even used to _laugh_. I think you've broken him." Enjolras frowned from the doorway, "Oh, that's better!" Joly exclaimed, noting his expression, "You do a very good impression of your former self, Enjolras!"

"Yes, yes, you're quite hilarious, Joly," Enjolras said dryly, pushing the door open and entering with the twins in his arms. Éponine visibly brightened up, and she immediately reached out her arms for one of the babies.

"You have no idea how happy I am to see you," she murmured to Elyse once she was settled in her arms, Enjolras sitting on the bed next to her.

"I think _I_ have an idea," Enjolras offered, "You've been going on about how much you've missed them from the moment we left our flat..."

"Shhh, you," Éponine scolded, nudging him.

"I'll be downstairs then," Joly smiled.

"Oh, Joly," Enjolras called after him as he left the room. Joly poked his head around the door, "Cosette's ill too. Marius would be annoyed at me if I didn't tell you." Joly nodded.

"I'll go and see her." He promised, before leaving the two alone.

After a few minutes of silence, both Enjolras and Éponine enjoying the moment they were spending with their children, Éponine spoke up, as Enolras had predicted she would, "Do you think... no. No, that would defeat the entire idea. Never mind."

"Go on," Enjolras prompted, "Nothing impossible."

"I could come up with a very good counterargument," Éponine muttered, "But... do you think, maybe... do you think the twins could stay here? I know we're supposed to be having a break away, and that I'm ill and having them around will probably just put more pressure on both of us, but it just seems wrong to send them back and-"

She was cut off by Enjolras' lips connecting with hers.

"Yes." He said simply.

"They can stay?" Éponine asked, sounding shocked. Enjolras chuckled.

"How can I say no?" he asked rhetorically, "I've missed them as much as you, and that's saying something. They're supposed to be with us, not with my parents, or the Amis. We didn't really need a holiday anyway, did we?"

"Not at all," Éponine agreed, sitting Elyse up on her lap and bouncing her gently, smiling as she giggled. Evette, facing her mother and sister in her father's arms, reached out, her hands making a grabbing motion.

"I think someone wants to go to Mama," Enjolras said quietly, passing Evette to Éponine. His fiancée obliged, taking Evette from him without a second thought as he took Elyse.

"We're really not very good at relaxing, are we?" Éponine muttered, "The opportunity to get away from screaming babies for two weeks, and what do we do? We steal the, back the first chance we get."

"I'd like to think that that is us being good parents," Enjolras said, "Besides, they've barely made a sound since they got here."

"That's true," Éponine frowned, "At least we haven't missed their first words... have we?" they both looked to the babies in front of them, waiting for one to start spouting some speech that they've been taught by one of the Amis in their three day absent.

Unsurprisingly, nothing of the sort happened, and the twins just sat on their parents' laps, babbling in baby-talk to no one in particular.

* * *

When Enjolras and Éponine returned home a week and a half later, they were met by a disapproving Combeferre.

"You were supposed to be having a break!" he complained the second they stepped out of their carriage, twins in their arms. They started to walk up the stairs to their flat, Combeferre sighing as he was passed a sleeping Evette, leaving Enjolras free to pick up their bags and walked up the two flights of stairs to their home.

"We _did_ get a break!" Enjolras insisted as Éponine put the key in the lock and let them in.

"You were supposed to be having two weeks away without the pressure of having the twins with you!" Combeferre protested.

"Are you joking?" Éponine questioned, now fully recovered, "I would have gone mad! Not to mention what I would have done to Enjolras..." even the revolutionary leader himself had the sense to look scared.

"I dread to think," Enjolras muttered, "Besides, Cosette and Marius have so many members of staff in that house, we barely had to pick the twins up once! In fact, if Éponine hadn't nearly growled at one of the maids, we probably wouldn't have even seen them!"

"They were trying to put the crib in a different room!" Éponine argued, "I'm not going to apologise for wanting my children near me at all times!"

"That sounds ever so relaxing..." Combeferre said sarcastically, "I hope you two realise that you've missed out on a chance to get away from the crying, and the screaming, and the responsibility..."

"Actually, they barely made a sound," Enjolras shrugged, "All week, they were good as gold. I think they've realised that having Mama and Papa isn't nearly as bad as staying with Papa's parents..." Combeferre smirked.

"You had a good time, at least?" he asked. Éponine nodded.

"It was amazing," she told him, "Thank you for setting it all up, 'Ferre."

"Not a problem, 'Ponine," he smiled as she hugged him, "Now, are you coming to the Musain? I understand that Bahorel has challenged Grantaire to some kind of arm wrestle, and Grantaire's entire alcohol stash is at stake..."

Enjolras and Éponine glanced at each other, both smiling slightly.

"We wouldn't miss it for the world," Éponine told their friend as he led the way towards the Musain. Keeping the twins in their arms (as they should be and would remain until either Enjolras or Éponine thought it would be safe, for them and the people around them, to do otherwise), Éponine and Enjolras followed Combeferre, both thinking the same thing:

There's no place like home.

* * *

**Once again, the massive jump towards the end there is apologised for :L I dind't want to carry on rambling, so bring on the Extended Edition! :D**

**Oh, and another thing: The whole story with Grantaire predicting Enjolras and Éponine's marriage actually did happen, to my parents :D It seemed like a story that could apply to my Les Mis OTP, so... voila! In it went! XD**

**Reviews are appreciated so much that words cannot describe, prompts are begged for (plleeaasee send me one if you have one!) and thank you muchly for reading :)**


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